Agile Planet Launches Plug-and-Play Smart Motion Controllers

A Texas-based startup has released two new smart controllers as part of its flagship product line aimed at simplifying motion control for manufacturing automation and other types of robots.

The AX-50 and AX-100 controllers join the AX-RLX as offerings from Agile Planet, a company that grew from technology licensed from the University of Texas (UT), developed over about 15 years, CEO Chetan Kapoor told Design News.

That technology was intelligent control software for robotics for use in various applications: nuclear plants, space, and industrial automation.

“We made these robots do tasks that involved a lot of sensing, and allowed them to plan their motions intelligently,” Kapoor told us. “They were also sensitive to touch so they could perform an operation that allowed them to touch something, push something, and even interact with humans."

The new AX-50 and AX-100 motion controllers from Agile Planet can be used with a range of PLC or robotics platforms to provide motion control. Agile designed the controllers to be plug-and-play, and to allow flexibility for robotics and automation components that are installed in a system. (Source: Agile Planet)

Agile adapted that technology to create controllers with intelligence in the system that eliminates configuration or programming steps for developers using the software with robotics systems. Kapoor explains:

For example, if you’re connecting our software to a robot, it automatically knows the physics of the robot, which will make it move smoothly. If a robot hits something, it’s sensitive to touch and it will move back. It knows what way to go to get to point A to point B fastest, [whereas] normally in systems you have to teach it every point. Instead, it will figure out things itself.

Agile was launched in 2008, with the AX-RLX controller leveraging the UT technology released in 2010. Agile first hitched its wagon to Rockwell Automation, creating its first product as a plug-in module for that company’s programmable logic controllers (PLCs). An early customer, Yaskawa Motoma, is using Rockwell’s PLC with Agile’s controller in commercial products, Kapoor said.

However, while most industrial automation systems are standardized on one company’s platform -- such as one for Rockwell or Siemens -- that standardization is only because it’s difficult to create and control a system of best-in-breed components, Kapoor said.

People use the standards to do lip service, but they don’t deliver easy-to-use software. For example, a company will say they support Ethernet, but there is no software/intelligence on top of it to make it easy [to deploy].

Now, with the AX-50 and AX-100, Agile has released controllers that aren't tied to one system, but are rather platform agnostic, working with a range of other systems and robots, Kapoor said. This gives OEMs a choice in what drivers and components they use in an automation or robotics system, and allows one controller for them all. According to Kapoor:

[Agile controllers] make any hardware that is downstream look the same to the user. An end-user programming it can mix and match servo drives and robotics from different vendors, and they will come across the same.

The key difference between the two new controllers is that the AX-50 is primarily for simple motion control, such as machines with up to 16 axes of motion. If an application demands coordinated control -- such as in a sophisticated robotic arm -- the more sophisticated AX-100 contains the algorithms to enable that type of robotic movement.

This technology sounds very exciting - I particularly like the cross-platform concept if that is what Kapoor means by platform agnostic (sorry, haven't heard that term before). I am wondering about more details in how that is achieved and if there is an "easy-to-use" proprietary software involved that facilitates,

"[Agile controllers] make any hardware that is downstream look the same to the user. An end-user programming it can mix and match servo drives and robotics from different vendors, and they will come across the same."

Yes, Nancy, forgive the confusing expression. I do mean cross-platform here. To my understanding from what Chetan told me, Agile Planet's controllers can be plugged into any system and automatically just work, kind of like when you plug a printer into your Windows PC and the computer knows what it is, finds the driver and it just works after a quick set-up. It's a handy concept for motion controllers.

Yes, Charles, I think that's the real value of this technology. I am surprised there hasn't been a solution before this, but I suppose it is in the best interest of the platform providers to keep everyone on a single system.

I think part of it is breaking out of the "proprietary" mindset. As a test engineer, I often used GPIB instrumentation and while the IEEE standard was the same - some manufacturers managed to make their controler cards proprietary so that in order to use their instrumentation, you had to use their card, and to use their card with other instrumentation - you had to purchase special drivers from them - IF they were available. I remember in one system, the only way I could work around two major competitors in the same test rack was to use two different controller cards. It was a software integration nightmare. I LOVE cross-platform products!!!!

I am sure you're not the only one, Nancy! Vendor lock-in and homegenity has its benefits, but it also has its frustrations, as you aptly described. It also paves the way for more best-in-breed design versus just using everything from one provider because it's more convenient. Could be the beginning of a trend!

Hopefully so - Elizabeth. I have seen some hardware/software companies go to extremes to get a larger market share. They would buy out a competitor with a solid product and then gradually have that product go away by phasing out support and not providing any upgrades - unfortunately that has made more than one quality product disappear. It would be great to see companies working together rather than stepping on each other!

I think the only thing that has reduced it if anything in recent years is not so much a change in mindset, but larger companies buying out smaller ones and then bringing all of their products under the same technology umbrella...I really appreciate software and hardware standing on their own merits rather than having to purchase them simply due to their availability.

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